The coconut cake here is fantastic! It's filled with whipped cream and coconut, and then iced with a creamy buttercream, topped off with more coconut. Did I mention that I love coconut? The chocolate decadence is pretty good but not quite as good as aux petit delices's version. read more

Let me start off by saying I don't like writing bad reviews, just honest ones. While this wasn't an awful experience, it wasn't what was expected and I think the Yelp average of four stars is simply by default...as there there really isn't many other choices in Fort Washington to chow down. The good thing was the menu looked promising and and was creative. A variety of different benedicts, pancakes and omelettes. I definitely had a hard time making my decision. I didn't like the atmosphere. You walk in and your plop in the middle of the dining room, no podium with someone to greet you, so it was awkward right from the start. "Hey, I'm on display!" I'm also not a fan of cafeteria style seating. Tables all in big rooms and your sitting right next to others and forced to listen to their less than extraordinary conversations. Just a tad bit more privacy would be nice. So I first ordered coffee. My cup (which was an Ikea cup) came with some woman's lipstick imprint on the rim. How that wasn't visible to the server is beyond me. They quickly got me a new cup in a cleaner glass. I then ordered the Southwestern Benedict. Smoked turkey on wheat toast, topped with avocado, poached egg and southwestern hollandaise sauce. Now I've only had eggs benedict, oh maybe a dozen times, and not once had the eggs every smelled or tasted like the vinegar water they were poached in. It was a bummer cause I hate vinegar. The toast was sour and the southwestern hollandaise was anything but, really bland actually. The turkey was not smoked, just thick cut dry deli meat. The entire dish was served on once slice of toast cut in half. All for $10. I can get way more food for less than that with much more bold flavors. I was left unenthusiastic. The potatoes were really crispy and tasty and the bacon was too. I think after seeing this place average four stars over 83 reviews set my expectations very high. I wouldn't say I'll never be back, I always like to give a place at least one more chance, but for now I think Zakes should stick to cakes. read more

After doing a little research I stumbled up this Zake's! I was searching for a cafe around my area opened past 6. I walked into this Zake's hoping for a late night coffee and dessert. I knew Zake's was pricy cafe and I didn't mind. When I walk in, I see candle lit tables with table clothes. I was rather confused. Was I at a cafe? I did see a counter in the back room, but it was also with the fine dining feel to it. I thought this place was casual due to the description on Yelp. It is more like a fine dining restaurant and the name is misleading compared to the atmosphere. I didn't want to walk out so I decided to ordered two desserts and coffee. My total was $21.00. I feel as my server was mad I didn't order a full meal. Maybe I was foolish for picking this place for dessert, but I feel mislead. I was happy they offer more than light food, but the ambience is more upscale. The huge parking lot is a perk, but I suggest you come here if you want a full course meal. Dinner is a good idea. A cake? Yeah maybe if you are celebrating a birthday dinner. read more

It took two turnarounds to find the actual location, but it's in a darling home in the Victorian era. I'm here traveling from NYC on business and originally found it on Yelp. I parked and was seated promptly. The lamb, eggplant, and tomato salad with balsamic looked excellent. I ordered. The service was prompt and kind. The salad was exceptional -- chunks of marinated lamb with lettuce and tomato. The balsamic soaked well with the feta. Prices are extremely reasonable. An iced coffee and homemade cookie were served on the house after I complimented one of the servers (possibly the owner?). I will return here again when I'm in the area. read more

Read the reviews - thought this would have been amazing. We walked up to the door and I noticed flower pots with herbs and lettuce growing! I became VERY excited. We went inside and were sort of greeted by women that were completely overwhelmed by the amount of patrons. The restaurant was too crowded. After standing at the door and often having to go outside to allow for more patrons to enter, we were seated. The restaurant was so crowded - the tables were practically touching each other. The ability to speak to each other without someone from our neighboring table interjecting, didn't exist. I was trying to eat brunch with my family, not a room full of strangers with opinions. The server was very friendly and apologized for the wait and the service. After we ordered, we waited for a good amount of time. Seemed like the restaurant was overbooked and under staffed. Or maybe the kitchen was understaffed. Either way, there was not enough staff getting the job done. Our food was ok. The presentation was nothing like that in the photos. The portions were much smaller. It was ok. My only suggestion is that if you intend on dining here, take a look inside. If it is very busy, walk away. If the restaurant is fairly empty, give it a try and write a review. Maybe my experience was due to how busy the restaurant was. read more

BEST COCONUT LAYER CAKE IN THE WHOLE WORLD!!! Great place for lady's lunch. Nice people. Neighborhood favorite but worth a trip. read more

Zakes Cafe - New American Near Me - Fort Washington, Pennsylvania

Fantastic! That sums it up.. First of all, the setting is so quaint. We moved over to Lower Gwynedd from CC Philly a few weeks back...so this felt like we were out in the beautiful countryside. The owner was very nice and helpful over the phone as well as in person. The menu was both simple yet creative. They had the usual brunch suspects along with some gourmet creations. Everything we had was great. We started with a fig and gorgonzola flatbread with arugula and toasted walnuts...yummm Both my wife and I had one of their omlettes...super tasty...my wife had the tex mex...she said it was the best omlette she ever had. Btw, this review is for brunch only. But we'll be back for dinner :) read more

I can't believe I haven't reviewed Zake's yet after three years of living and eating here. I've had breakfast, lunch and dinner here and each time I've been very happy with the food and service. If you come early for breakfast you get a nice quiet, relaxing experience, where sometimes during brunch, it's..well.. Brunch-madness, but some people are into that. Lunch, fresh salads and my favorite carrot ginger soup of my life. I'm always trying to replicate at home. You can get close, but it's just not Zake's. Dinner, really surprised me with well composed super tasty plates. Service at any time of day has always been consistent. Over all a really comforting, refreshing, and yummy place to be for any meal! If you haven't been here yet you are definitely missing out. read more

What Zakes lacks in space it more than makes up for in TASTE! This is our favorite breakfast place. Their sweet and savory offerings are all amazing, fresh, and delicious. The raspberry lemon pancakes with caramel sauce won Best of Philly and they deserve that title! Sprikled with granulated sugar and lemon zest, the pancakes are crispy on the outside and indulgent when dipped in the house made caramel sauce. The savory offerings are equally good, we've had several of the omelets (the one with avocado and ham is so good) and their scottish wedding breakfast is really unique. The potatoes that come on the side are crispy and sauteed with thinly sliced onion for a really hearty taste. We've tried the 3 course dinners as well and they were of equal quality. I am not sure I even need to state that their cakes and desserts are beyond amazing and come in so many varieties. Others complain about the size of the dining room and the noise level - it is definitely not quiet and romantic....but the flavor of the food is worth it! read more

Excellent weekend breakfast spot! We both enjoyed our meals, which both featured pancakes, and plan on returning. Not the biggest cakes, but homemade deliciousness and surprisingly satisfying. The side meats were very good, crispy and lengthy bacon. Friendly and solid service. Building is a house, seating not expansive, but great atmosphere and light. Warning: Coffee is just OK. Grab a slice of cake for late night. Overall I walked away satisfied. A bit of a drive, but it was worth it compared to Conshohocken Cafe et al. read more

We had crab, shrimp and something quiche and Vietnamese benedict. The quiche was over baked, tasted a bit too hard. But appreciated the fact that they had a real assortment of fruit rather than just cantaloupes. The Vietnamese benedict was overall a nice fusion dish. Interesting twist on eggs benedict. The potatoes on the side couldve been better. Good service and nice decor read more

Zakes Cafe - New American Near Me - Fort Washington, Pennsylvania

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Breakfast was great. I had the crab, mushroom and cheddar omelet with a side of home fries. My wife had a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich. The crab meat was fresh, which was a nice touch. The home fries were amazing. They're seasoned small wedges (probably old bay or something similar). On the sandwich, the cheese to egg ratio was off; it could have used more cheese. The bread was good. It was fresh and not toasted so it would hug the rest of the meal. My wife really wanted the French toast since it comes with caramel dipping sauce. It was not very busy at 10am on Saturday. Out of the ~20 tables they were maybe half full. Service rotated between the 3 ladys working and didn't get confusing. They were very nice and I had to struggle to not walk out with some of the carrot cake and key lime pie they had. Can't wait to go back! read more

I just moved to the area and tried Zakes for dinner with my husband for our third anniversary. The food was tasty and the portions were a nice size. Although a bit pricey, the fact that it is BYOB is a big plus. My husband got a fixed price meal which also was a good deal. The deserts were excellent and were very well prepared ad the servers were attentive. Zakes has a good location and is easy to find with available parking. We were a bit on the younger spectrum of the individuals on the restaurant, but I believe we will be bringing our friends there soon since it is a solid spot. I cannot wait to try their brunch. read more

I love the food. Everything is delicious and the service is wonderful. I can not say enough about this wonderful restaurant. You will not be disappointed and it BYOB. read more

I have never been disappointed at Zakes. The food is excellent, desserts out of this world, and friendly and consistent service. Any meal - breakfast, lunch or dinner, is always exceptional. Lynda M. read more

I have to give Zakes a 4 star because their Sunday Brunch is fantastic. No, really everything on the Sunday Brunch menu is good. What stinks is that sometimes they run out of certain items. You have to go early to get your choice of what you want on that menu. The side of potatoes that come with the brunch items are delicious!! But I never go to Zake's during the week. I think the bread on the sandwiches are sub-par. The generic, non-name bread that you would find at Acme or Giant. (I'm sure that they spend $$ on quality bread - but it isn't that good). I don't enjoy their sandwiches. Service is "meh." Still better than West Ave Grille's service. I think the whole price differential b/w having dessert at the restaurant (which costs more?!?!) vs. getting it to go is so stupid. Why would it cost more to have the dessert at the restaurant? Why would it cost a dollar more? Does no one else not find that irritating? But seriously, their Sunday brunch is so good that despite all my grievances they still get 4 stars. read more

Pastry's are tasty and food's "pretty good." Zakes is a fairly solid brunch place, it's nice because it's far more local than a brunch place such as Green Eggs. It's simple, straightforward too, you can tell that they're really going for a "fresh" kind of vibe. Almost all their meals come with either a potato salad or a mixed green salad. Their tuna salad sandiwch is pretty tasty, as are their quiches. But where Zakes REALLY shines is in the pastry, they have some delightful pastries in the desert counter, so make sure you save room for desert. This is one place where you don't want to skip out on the desert. Zakes can lack finesse in their cooking. Their mixed green salad came out as a wilted, soggy mess. My greens were wilted and limping all over my plate like Spanish fans after getting trounced by the Netherlands 5-1. There was also a small puddle of dressing at the bottom of my plate, infecting everything else. The taste was fine, although the greens had a distinctly unpleasant texture and feeling in the mouth due to their aforementioned wilted and limp status. Overall Zakes does solid, simple food. It's a little on the pricey end of things, but their cooking leaves one satisfied, and happy. Again, they really shine on the deserts, so make sure you don't skip out on your daily serving of cake! read more

Went for breakfast on a weekday. We had quick attentive service and an excellent meal. Not often when all four dishes ordered come back quite so good - we had poached eggs, and omelet, a burrito and French toast. Not a miss across the board. The ambience is cozy American colonial especially in the atrium. And the cakes! Wow - we bought one and will update! read more

I have a mixed review of this visit to Zakes. I went for dinner after being there for good brunches or lunches in the past. Unfortunately, the wedge salad was soggy and very salty. I couldn't finish it. I ordered the miso Mahi dinner and it was also very salty. I couldn't eat it and I have enjoyed miso coated fish in the past. The redemption came with the replacement entree of the sliced bbq duck. This was excellent as was the dessert plate (as always). The service is always good and they didn't fuss about swapping my dinner entree so I won't hesitate to visit again. read more

I came here for brunch. I got Zakes Poached eggs, and my cousin got the crab, mushroom, and cheddar omelette. We both really liked our choices. The wait staff was friendly and helpful. We finished off the meal with dessert. I got the summer shortcake, while my cousin had a chocolate dessert. I can't remember which one exactly. Their desserts are actually kind of dry though. After having a couple bites, we walked back over to where their cakes are sitting, and they all looked dry. Maybe they had been sitting out too long or maybe that was just the way they were made. The dryness was helped by the condensed milk and frosting, but it's my opinion that you shouldn't need those extra toppings to make it good. I would go back for brunch but elsewhere for dessert. read more

Zakes Cafe - Summer Shortcake - New American Near Me - Fort Washington, Pennsylvania

The food there is amazing! The brunch is the best BEST in the area. I would eat the food from there everyday if I could. The only downside is that the place is REALLY cramped and so noisy. It's really just due to the fact of how good they are though. read more

Zakes Cafe - Brunch - lemon Carmel pancakes and mouth watering home fries - New American Near Me - Fort Washington, Pennsylvania

I love this place. The honey lemon pancakes are hands down my favorite. The Carmel dressing is amazing. I've had the goat cheese salad and blueberry pancakes on different occasions and neither were a disappointment. The place can get packed fast so it might be best to make reservations for brunch. It can be a tad cramp and noisy but the food is worth it. read more

Perfect place for breakfast! (and brunch if salads and sandwiches are all you're craving) read more

Zakes Cafe - Salmon BLT with a side of potato salad and veggies - New American Near Me - Fort Washington, Pennsylvania

Our 1st time here. We met friends who love the place and now we love it also. The pre-fix menu was great.. Hubby had the beef. Friends had the fish and I had the duck. It was all delicious.. Can't wait to go back.. read more

I would give this 3.5 stars but in my mind it's closer to 4 stars than 3. So went with 4. I came here for the first time last weekend and I was very impressed! The waiters and waitresses were pretty attentive. I got a crab sandwich that had a lot of crab and was pretty good. My dad had eggs Benedict. He wasn't that into the sauce but still ate the whole thing! We sat outside and it was pretty crowded but no wait. It was overall a very good experience and look forward coming back. read more

Went here for a work lunch. Great option for healthier eating. Very cute inside but a little cramped. I had the steak salad and it was delicious! Their pastries looked good also. Would love to try their brunch. Reservations recommended. Would definitely return. read more

Zakes Cafe - Grilled Flank Steak Salad - New American Near Me - Fort Washington, Pennsylvania

I've been going to Zake's for awhile. It's a quaint restaurant with good service. The lunch/dinner food is a flare of All American food with a Asian twist which keeps me coming back for more. I love the lemon pancakes for breakfast/brunch. The menu changes from time to time which I'm always looking forward to. Seating is a little bit tight between tables. Overall, the place is clean and the service is friendly. read more

I stopped in here on a Friday evening after being on business in the local area. I had the angus filet with organic baby carrots and basil mashed potatoes. It was by far the best meal I've ever had at a restaurant. The menu was short and concise. It was perfect. There was natural lighting and a quiet ambience that made the night enjoyable and calming. We also had dessert which was very enjoyable. Portion sizes were perfect. read more

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The only thing was there were multiple servers. At one point, I think they forgot about us, so I had to find one of them to bring us refills on the water. But overall, the food was really good and the atmosphere was quaint. This is a place worth visiting again. read more

The food was excellent, service quick and polite, and BYOB... perfect for brunch! Definitely try the Portuguese breakfast and coconut French toast both are divine!!! read more

Awesome New Years Eve price fixe menu. Food was delicious and fresh, well seasoned. The owners are delightful people and gracious hosts. Love the BYOB and phenomenal food. You won't be disappointed! read more

I never give 5 stars, because only God is perfect. But Zakes is next in line. First we had a Filet with homemade bearnaise sauce that was unbelievable, we had a rack of lamb dinner again delicious. We had the scallops as well all we're done beautifully. I asked each member of our party for a score, the average score was a 9.5 out of 10. I have to say a homemade bearnaise sauce is absolutely the best. read more

Zakes Cafe - Zakes Cafe - New American Near Me - Fort Washington, Pennsylvania

I came today with a large group. They were out of multiple brunch items, including fresh avocado for some reason. Couldn't someone go to the store? They were out of an onion and feta and something quiche, but not the omelet, and they were out of fresh avocado but not their avocado salsa, which I guess means they make the food in advance and heat it up. While we looked at the menu, the 15-year-old looking bus boy brought the waters. We had asked for waters *without* lemon, but all the waters had lemon in them. We asked him to take them back and bring us waters without lemon, so he came back with the same water glasses - they had seriously reached into the glass and REMOVED THE LEMON. There were lemon pieces still floating in the glass. Seriously? Did someone reach their hand in there and pull out the lemon? That is really, really gross. I'm really hoping they at least used a fork, but I doubt it. You couldn't repour the glasses? What if someone had been allergic to lemon? I'm sorry, but that really pissed me off. When the food came, there were similar oversights on the food. An omelet that was ordered with bacon came without it, the "caramelized" onions were still white, the lettuce in my salad was kind of wilted-looking, they served burnt toast etc. These are the things that make or break a restaurant - the small details. We had brought a cake with us that we ordered at a bakery before we had a plan for the brunch location. They were going to charge a $1 per person fee to serve the cake. I know some places do this, but it just was one more thing that was annoying. If it hadn't been for the other things that went wrong (the water, anyone?) I might have had a different attitude toward the whole thing. My food was pretty good. I had the crab and shrimp quiche. I kept crunching something, and at first I was worried it was crab shell or egg shell, but it turned out to be that the top of the quiche was a little overcooked. Nothing too bad though. Overall, everyone was mostly happy with their food, and it's probably a 3 1/2 star review. It's a decent restaurant that really needs someone to be watching the details better. It seems that some of the younger (they looked like 15-year-olds) staff could use better training as well. One more suggestion would be to at least offer some tofu scramble, cage free / humane certified eggs, high quality (natural, not the morning star stuff) vegetarian options, etc. So many more restaurants have been doing this, and I know the crowd here seemed a little older, but it would attract groups that have a vegetarian or vegan. read more

Zakes Cafe - Crab and shrimp quiche. Lettuce was a little brown but it was good. - New American Near Me - Fort Washington, Pennsylvania

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Very good food with a pretty good variety. As a vegetarian I found something to eat! Waiting staff is helpful and courteous; willing to accommodate you with easy. Their cakes are one of the best in this area. I wish they had more space, though. read more

I wanted to like this Place, there was nothing really inspiring on the menu as I was trying to eat healthy I picked a salad with shrimp on it. There were no herbs not really much flavor and mostly Iceberg lettuce. Carrot ginger soup was good, but I'm guessing their guests don't like a lot of space cause I can barely taste the ginger. Maybe they have a clientele that likes food on the bland side, just know this if you're going there. read more

Ordered the grilled tuna salad. Asked waitress if the tuna was cooked ahi style and she said it was. Tuna came out totally cooked through and served on a bed of wilted greens. Presentation was sloppy, it looked like a salad that my 7yr old could throw together. So disappointed as this used to be one of my favorite places. Has the ownership changed? Not sure since it's the first time returning here after 7 yrs. read more

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The first time I ate at Zake's my husband and I were visiting in the area. I had lunch with a friend and it was great. Since moving here in 2013 I had wanted to go again, so when I saw that they were serving dinner I thought a 65th birthday dinner would be the prefect time. When I called to make the reservation there was no mention of Restaurant Week or a special menu, other than the prix fixe that they have on Wed. and Thu., which I was not interested in. I told the guy I spoke to that it was a special occasion but I didn't want anything special, just a nice quiet table. He said he already had us down for the perfect table. I also ordered a 6-inch carrot cake birthday cake to take home with me. A few days before the date (on a Thursday) I went online to look over the menu and share it with my husband. They now had a banner up advertising Restaurant Week, the very week of my birthday. I called the restaurant to see if the regular menu would be available and I was told it would be so I was relieved. When we arrived at the restaurant no one had reserved the "perfect table" at all! They acted surprised that I would even mention it during such a busy time! At first they tried to seat us between 2 4-tops against a wall but I refused and then we were seated at a 2-top by the door. After I acted annoyed the guy that seated us found us a nice quiet table in the back room, which was fine. We were only presented with a prix fixe menu, not the regular menu. The items looked good so we were okay with that. However, the service was very rushed and it was obvious that the plates were hurriedly assembled. My filet of beef, green beans and potatoes au gratin were almost comical to look at, all on one side of a large square plate. I'll post a pic. As soon as we were done with the last bite of a course someone was there to whisk away our plates and bring us the next one. There was no time for a leisurely chat between courses as I am used to in upscale restaurants. My husband always drinks a lot of sparkling water. They gave him a very small bottle of Perrier and then never offered him more. He decided not to complain and just drank the water on the table but I was very annoyed by it. We were done with our meal in 45 minutes from the time we walked through the door! Not how I wanted to spend my 65th birthday! The food itself was a mixed bag. I had the filet of beef and the beef was tender and had a very good flavor. The bordelaise sauce was a little too rich but not bad. The green beans on the other hand were tough and undercooked - inedible. The portion of potato au gratin was very tasty and very small. My husband said his scallops were good. We both had the key lime pie for dessert and it was okay but not great. When we left, the person who had seated us brought us 3 large leftover muffins - from breakfast I suppose. I give them credit for noticing that we weren't entirely happy with the experience. The muffins were horrible and went down the disposal the next morning. No wonder they were left over. My carrot cake birthday cake also went down the disposal. The cake itself was not bad but I didn't care for the very airy filling between the layers which contrasted badly with the very dense icing. Overall, the cake was a disappointment. I can make better at home. Between the so-so food and the hurried service I won't say I won't go back (maybe for lunch sometime), but I won't be in a hurry. The white paper covering the tablecloths was very unfortunate! read more

Zakes Cafe - This is the plate I was served on my 65th birthday. Embarrassing! The beans look like they almost didn't make it onto the plate! - New American Near Me - Fort Washington, Pennsylvania

Zakes is one of those staple places I head to for brunch or lunch when I'm back in the hometown. A friend and I went for weekday lunch and both ordered the duck breast salad from their expansive menu (truly, their specials list is just as long as their regular menu!). We are both gluten free and found we had quite a few options to choose from -- a nice change from many venues. The salad was tasty and left us both satisfied. Hoping to try out some cakes next time! read more

I've never been that impressed with Zake's. It's cute and, relative to the Ft. Washington food scene, the food is pretty decent. However, the service is chaotic and not-so-hot. And personally, the owner seems to be a total wacko. All that said, they do make a fine cake. I've ordered birthday cakes here and holiday yule logs-- they are always phenomenal. read more

Everytime I walk into this place I feel like I'm going to have tea on a Sunday afternoon at my grandmother's house. It's adorable, but the place is tight. It's a bit difficult to have an intimate conversation without bumping elbows with the guy who is sitting at the next table. I will say that the food produced here is delicious. The menu is light, offers a variety of options, and is an ideal lunch spot for a business meeting, grandma, or someone you want to catch up with. You HAVE to get dessert if you're going to eat here; their cakes, pies, tarts, pastries, you name it- all delicious. Perfect with a cup of coffee. read more